Craig man accidentally shoots himself

A 21-year-old Craig resident was injured Monday night when the handgun he was cleaning accidentally went off.

The accidental shooting happened at 8:45 p.m. at a home in the 900 block of West First Street, the Craig Police Department reported.

In the home, the man was cleaning his gun and apparently did not empty the weapon’s chamber beforehand, Sgt. John Forgay said.

The weapon fired a bullet that went through the man’s leg.

“He didn’t check it, it went off and it left a through-and-through wound in his thigh,” Forgay said.

Forgay said one of the police officers who responded to the scene is a shooting range instructor and confirmed the shooting was accidental.

The man was taken to The Memorial Hospital in Craig for treatment

Hospital spokeswoman Jennifer Riley confirmed that a patient was admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound Monday and was transported to another treatment facility.

Patient privacy laws prevented Riley from releasing more information.

Forgay said accidental shootings are not occurrences frequently investigated by the police department.

“It would be a stretch to say we have one a year,” he said.

The sergeant said it’s a situation that can be easily avoided.

“It’s just common sense, really,” Forgay said. “If you’re going to clean a gun, the first thing you’re going to do is clear it.”

Craig man booked for alleged infractions

According to reports, Craig resident R.L. Logan was booked Friday night into the Moffat County Jail after allegedly running his car into an ATV that was plowing snow.

Logan, 57, was booked on six counts, including vehicular assault, driving under the influence, duty to report an accident, duty to give notice, information and aid, parking or abandonment of vehicles, and careless driving.

Logan allegedly was driving in the 500 block of Barclay Street when the incident occurred, Forgay said.

The duty to report charge and duty to give notice charges came because Logan allegedly left the scene of the accident and abandoned his vehicle, Forgay said.

The driver of the ATV was allegedly knocked off the ATV and received treatment at The Memorial Hospital.